Episodes
Published 10/30/22
Poem 1: 'Colonisation' by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar. Music: 'On The Fly' by M. Carney.   Poem 2: 'Ghazal 164' by Hafez. Music: 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt. 3.' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1. (Persian Music)’.   Additional music: 'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com   Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com  Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com    For all things ‘The Persian...
Published 10/02/21
Published 10/02/21
Cam memorialising in a poem the very first time he heard a poem spoken in Persian back in late 2019 ... it was shared by a fascinating, arty woman he'd just met ... she goes by the name of Ramak! Poem 1 – FARSI – 'Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season’ by Forough Farrokhzad. Music : 'Clouds' by Rod Gear from the album 'The Wood That Sings'  www.rodgearmusic.com Poem 2 – ENGLISH – 'The Spring and The Forest'  by Cameron Semmens. Music : ‘Love her and she will watch over you’...
Published 09/16/21
The Persian: Ramak Bamzar. The Poet: Cameron Semmens. All poems from the book ‘Upside Drowning – poems from the edge of the ocean’, by Cameron Semmens; available through www.webcameron.com Poem 1: ‘Listening to The Ocean’ by Cameron Semmens Poem 2: ‘Curious Fragments of Memory’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘A Thousand Goodnights’ from the album: ‘Tears of The Candle’  by M. Carney. Poem 3: ‘The Lips of The Sea’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘Erupting Light’ from the album ‘Without...
Published 08/28/21
Poem 1: The Swifts in The Willow by Cameron Semmens;  translation by Ramak Bamzar.  Music: ‘Overcast’ by Hildur Gudnadottir & Johann Johannsson,  from the album ‘Without Sinking’.   Poem 2: Futile Magic by Fereydoon Moshiri; translation by Frank Moshiri (2015). Music: ‘Avaze Bayate Esfahan’ from the album  ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.   Production and editing – Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com    Photography and graphic design...
Published 08/25/21
Ramak shares about Nowruz – the symbology and her experiences. Cameron surprises her with a brand new poem: Standing in Love Enjoy!
Published 04/05/21
In essence, this episode – The Fall of The Willow – is a spoken-word album, which you can listen to in one continuous stream. It's a curated compilation consisting of each one of Cameron Semmens' original poems translated and recited by Ramak Bamzar in the 2020 podcast season. These gorgeous translations have been brought together to create a single half-hour of swirling, twirling, whispered and hollered words declared and confided to YOU – our dear listener. May love and wonder seep into...
Published 02/25/21
In essence, this episode – The Fall of The Willow – is a spoken-word album, which you can listen to in one continuous stream.It's a curated compilation consisting of each one of Cameron's original poems shared in the 2020 podcast season. These poems have been brought together to create a single half-hour of swirling, twirling, whispered and hollered words declared and confided to YOU – our dear listener. May love and wonder seep in your bones...           Coming soon: all the translations of...
Published 02/19/21
Poem : From My Dry Lips – words and music by Cameron Semmens.Title music : A Warm Welcome – Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.comProduction and editing – Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.comPhotography and graphic design – Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com
Published 02/12/21
Episode 14 : Yalda Night SpecialRamak and Cam share a night full of candles, cosiness, fruit and poetry! Gorgeous ghazals from one of the greatest of all Persian poets: Hafiz, as well as exquisite poems from Cam’s 3 favourite poets: David Whyte, Mary Oliver and John O’Donohue…. and Cam couldn’t not share a brand-new ghazal he’d just written.But some may be asking – What is Yalda Night?Well, Yalda Night is a winter solstice festival celebrated in Iran. Friends and family gather on the longest...
Published 12/22/20
Poem 1 : The Wattle and The Willow by Cameron Semmens.Translation by Ramak Bamzar.Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Poem 2 : How Impatient by Ahmad Shamlou.Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com
Published 12/08/20
Episode 11 : And someone is dying... In this episode Ramak and Cameron discuss times they have stood beside death. For Cameron, at hospital bedsides; for Ramak, as a documentary photographer, in the disaster zone of the 2003 Bam earthquake in southern Iran. And they wonder over the fact that… as someone is dying… another is coming to life. As Ned Kelly said in his famous last words before he hung from the noose: such is life.Poem 1 : Upon Approaching a Dead Person in a Hospice by Cameron...
Published 11/27/20
Poem 1 : The Mind is a Yacht, The Heart an Oil Tanker by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar and Roya Bamzar. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.comPoem 2 : Oasis in a Moment by Sohrab Sepehri; translation into English by Ismail Salami. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.comTitle music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.comPodcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.comPhotography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com
Published 11/03/20
Poem 1 : Rapid ‘I’ Movement Towards You by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar. Music: ‘Love her and she will watch over you’ by Luke Pittman.Poem 2 : ‘Beyond Presence’ by Sohrab Sepehri; translation into English by Ali Salami. Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 
Published 10/18/20
Poem 1 : ‘The Wind Will Take Us’ by Forough Farrokhzad; translation into English by Daniel Shams. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Poem 2 : ’Petalled Pillows and Thorny Sheets – Part 2’ by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 
Published 10/07/20
Poem 1 : ’Petalled Pillows and Thorny Sheets – Part 1’ by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar. Music : Rod Gear.Poem 2 : ‘Tryst’ by Ahmad Shamlou; translation into English by Naim Nabili and Frank Lewis. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com …Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com … Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com …
Published 09/26/20
Episode 7 : The Mountains… and Shamlou. Poem 1 : ’In The Mountains’ by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar. Poem 2 : The Dead-end Rod road by Ahmad Shamlou; translation by Sholeh Wolpé. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com …Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com …Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com
Published 09/20/20
Episode 6 : Secrets... and Rumi.Poem 1 : ’They are a secret’ by Cameron Semmens; translation into Farsi by Ramak Bamzar. Music : ‘Frederique’ by Michael Carney.Poem 2 : A selection of quatrains by Rumi; translation into English by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek. Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens. Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar.
Published 09/12/20
Episode 5 : A Room Full of Rumi.1 : ’Come Into Me’ by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar. Music : ‘God’ by Spike Mason www.spikemason.com2 : A ghazal by Rumi; translation into English by Mariam Maafi. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Poems 3 and 4 by Rumi.Title music by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.comPodcast produced by Cameron Semmens. Photography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar.
Published 09/05/20
Episode 4 : The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam… and Butterflies.Title music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com Poem 1 : ’The Father of Butterflies’ by Cameron Semmens; translation into Farsi by Ramak Bamzar. Music : ‘Viewed from The Climb’ from the album ‘Separate Journeys’ by Spike Mason www.spikemason.comPoem 2 : ’The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam’ compiled by Kamran Kuhestany; translation into English by Dr. Rosen. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Podcast produced by Cameron...
Published 08/30/20
Show notes for Episode 3: LOVE and DEATHTitle music : ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.comPoem 1 : ’Still Trying To’ by Cameron Semmens. Translation into Farsi by Ramak Bamzar. Music : ‘Chasm’ from the album ‘Separate Journeys’ by Spike Mason www.spikemason.comPoem 2 : ’I Will Greet The Sun Again’ by Forough Farouzad. Music : Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com Podcast produced by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.comPhotography and graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com
Published 08/26/20
Show notes for Episode 2: The Forest and Forough.Poem1 : ’What Happened in The Forest?’ by Cameron Semmens. Translation into Farsi by Ramak Bamzar.Poem 2 : ’Another Birth’ by Forough Farouzad. Translation into English by Karim Emami.All music by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.comPhotography and Graphic design: Ramak BamzarPodcast produced by Cameron Semmens.
Published 08/15/20
Show notes for Episode 1 : Shiraz and Poetry.Poem 1 : ‘As I Stand on Edge of The Park’ by Cameron Semmens. Translation into Farsi by Ramak Bamzar.Poem 2 : ‘The Bird May Die’ by Forough Farrokhzad. Translation into English by Maryam Dilmaghani.All music by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.comPhotography and Graphic design: Ramak BamzarPodcast produced by Cameron Semmens.
Published 08/09/20